mocosocoBirds

Glaucous Gull, Hillsborough Twp., Dec. 17, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

Snow fell intermittently throughout the day. Low-pressure weather systems occasionally trigger the large number of gulls found in Hillsborough Twp. today. A Glaucous Gull found this morning was among hundreds of gulls along Homestead Road in Hillsborough Township. At least 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were with a few Great Black-backed Gulls and 100+ each of Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. Also present were the usual multitude of European Starlings as well as crows of both American and Fish species. Homestead is a risky road to bird depending on the time of day as traffic can make birding the road hazardous. The driveways and properties on both sides of the road are private property.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Hillsborough Twp., Dec. 17, 2013 (digiscoped by J. Klizas)

A Common Goldeneye was found in the Raritan River along River Road, Hillsborough Twp. this morning.

A Cackling Goose and 2 Common Ravens were at Rattlesnake Bridge Road, Bedminster Twp. this afternoon (Jeff Ellerbusch). A dark morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen there yesterday (Sam Korengut).

From Ken Hart:
A Chipping Sparrow was among the 15 species (which include House Finches, 1 Song Sparrow, Carolina Wrens…) that have shown up at my feeders today on Black River Rd in Long Valley. Interestingly, after I scraped away the snow in some areas to expose dirt and leaves, the Juncos and White-throated Sparrows spent more time there than at the feeders.

The north and south ends of Lake Hopatcong are frozen but the main body of New Jersey’s largest lake remains ice-free. A sliver of open water between Brady Bridge Road and the open water of Great Cove held 12 Tundra Swans today – 11 adults and 1 juvenile. The Tundra Swans outnumbered the Mute Swans in this little section. Immediately south of the swans in the frozen section north of Nolan’s Point, 4 Bald Eagles, 2 adults, a sub-adult and a juvenile, standing on the ice, enjoyed the remains of what looked like a duck carcass.

Bald Eagles, Lake Hopatcong, NJ, Dec. 15, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

There is currently an impressive number of gulls at Lake Hopatcong. 1,000+ could be seen in the water from Nolan’s Point looking west into Byram Bay on the Sussex County side of the lake. Another large group, mostly in the air was in the River Styx area, again in Sussex County. Most of the gulls are out of scope viewing range to get certain identification. A raft of well over 1,500 gulls was north of Bertrand’s Island late in the day. Most are probably Herring Gulls with a strong showing of Ring-billed Gulls, as well. 12 adult Great Black-backed Gulls were easily picked out in the distance. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was found here Thursday. A Bonaparte’s Gull was in Great Cove one week ago. It is inevitable that someone will discover a species other than those previously mentioned.

Other Field Notes

Boonton Reservoir is mostly ice-free. 92 Ring-necked Ducks were at the north end with 4 Gadwall, 1 Northern Pintail, 5 Hooded Mergansers, 2 Ruddy Ducks, Mallards and American Black Ducks.

Lake Parsippany is almost completely frozen. A mix of Ring-billed, Herring and 1 Great Black-backed Gull joined a Mute Swan, 1 Great Blue Heron and 100+ Canada Geese. It is assumed most of the many smaller lakes in Morris are also frozen.

Bernardsville Quarry (Old Quarry Rd, Bernardsville) had a female Common Goldeneye this afternoon (Mike Hiotis). This is a regular species for Somerset County on the Raritan River in Franklin Township but finding one on an inland lake in Somerset is special.

4 Savannah Sparrows were at the edge of the recently snow-plowed road at Florham Park Fields today.

Savannah Sparrow, Florham Park, NJ, Dec. 15, 2013 (photo by Chuck Hantis).

A Cackling Goose was seen today with a group of Canada Geese flying south over I-78 at mile marker 26.7 (Mike Britt).

Lake Parsippany is freezing around the edges and is frozen at the south end. On the lake were 10 Hooded and 21 Common Mergansers, 1 Ruddy Duck and the usual Geese, Mallards, Mute Swans, Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. The lake may be frozen by the weekend considering the sub-freezing temperatures in store for the next few days.

Boonton Reservoir is ice-free for now. 19 Ring-necked Ducks, 9 Lesser Scaup, 26 Hooded Mergansers, 5 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, Mallards, Am. Black Ducks and Ring-billed Gulls were viewable from the north end.

Bernardsville Quarry had 2 Common Ravens and 16 Hooded Mergansers this morning.

Today’s light snowfall (2-4 inches in the mocosocoBirds area) occurred during a time frame causing school closures as well as other public facilities. Feeder watching was the birding activity of the day for many. Steve Byland was fortunate to get a Baltimore Oriole at his feeder in Warren Twp. as well as two male eastern Towhees.

Baltimore Oriole, Warren Twp., Dec. 10, 2013 (photo by Steve Byland).

Alan Boyd eBirded waterfowl from Budd Lake today: 5 Northern Shovelers and 8 Common Mergansers along with a handful of Mallards, hundreds of Canada Geese as well as Ring-billed and Herring Gulls.

Birders should check the lakes and waterways before they freeze. The upcoming frigid weather forecast looks to put a lid on waterfowl activity for a while.

Birds of Lake Hopatcong

A Bonaparte’s Gull (BOGU) was dwarfed by the Herring Gull it was lying next to in the waters in Great Cove off Nolan’s Point at Lake Hopatcong this morning. A nearby boat must have disturbed the BOGU as it and the Herring Gull were gone shortly after. 3 Long-tailed Ducks drakes were also in Great Cove. A drake Common Goldeneye flew past the point headed towards the swans and ducks.

3 Tundra Swans continue with the Mute Swan congregation between Nolan’s Point and Brady Road Bridge. The large numbers of Herring Gulls seen here are roosting birds gone by 8:00 a.m.   The entire lake is ice-free. Here are the numbers from this morning:

Canada Goose – 330
Mute Swan – 151
Tundra Swan – 3
Gadwall – 138
American Wigeon – 16
Am. Black Duck – 10
Mallard – 177
Ring-necked Duck – 1
Long-tailed Duck – 3
Bufflehead – 121
Common Goldeneye – 1
Hooded Merganser – 66
Ruddy Duck – 80
Great Blue Heron – 2
American Coot – 8
Bonaparte’s Gull – 1
Ring-billed Gull – 105
Herring Gull – 576
Great Black-backed Gull – 8

The Gadwall count of 138 represents a record high count for Morris County in the eBird database.

Lake Musconetcong, Budd Lake and Mt. Hope Lake are ice-free this weekend. Budd Lake is also birdless, at least in the late morning. Lake Musconetcong had geese, gulls, swans and a few Hooded Mergansers. Mt. Hope Lake was attended by only 2 Mute Swans, a Bufflehead and 2 Ring-billed Gulls. These lakes were victims of last week’s freeze. Unfortunately, next week’s weather may bring about more lake freezing conditions.

Other Field Notes

Tom Smith found a late Eastern Phoebe at the bridge going to the Friends Blind in the Great Swamp NWR. One was found at the overlook on Pleasant Plains Rd. in late December in 2012 and stayed through the first week of January 2013.

From Chuck Smith:
A short walk at the Lincoln Park Gravel Pits today. I just stayed on the dike between the 2 lakes. Nothing on the swimming lake. The back lake had large numbers of geese, gulls and ducks hunkered near the far shore. I was able to pick out a few Herring Gulls and a single Great Black-backed from all the Ringed-billed Gulls. Gadwalls, No. Shovelers , Black Ducks, Common Mergansers, a few Pied-billed Grebes and lots of Mallards were present as well. An adult Bald Eagle perched close by high in a tree along the shoreline behind the island line but did not bother the mass of birds. On the way out a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was near the parking lot.

Kristi Reed photographed a Common Loon at Duke Farms today, a nice find for that location.

From eBird reports:
3 Sandhill Cranes in fields behind Zarephath, Weston Canal Rd., Franklin Twp. (Chris Williams)

3 Red-headed Woodpeckers continue at Colonial Park in Franklin Twp. (John J. Collins)

From Robert Skrabal:
I saw at least three immature Red-headed Woodpeckers today at Colonial Park, Franklin Township. There were also 2 No. Pintails and 7 Am. Wigeons there.

From Chris Williams at the same location:
Immature Red-headed Woodpecker at Eco Nature Trail in Colonial Park,
Franklin Twp. (Near area of last year’s bird) It was found on the left side of trail just before wooden boardwalk begins.

[Editor’s note: These RHWOs have probaly been at Colonial Park throughout the season. A juvenile was reported to eBird on Nov. 17, 2013. RHWOs were frequently reported from here in the winter of 2012.]
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A late afternoon drive through a fogged-in Great Swamp NWR produced 1 Red-headed Woodpecker near the north gate of Pleasant Plains Rd. Winter Wrens continue to be noticeable with one at the north gate and three at the Wildlife Observation Center (Friends Blind area).